Cities around the world welcome 2026 with thunderous fireworks and heightened security
People release balloons as they gather to celebrate the New Year in Ahmedabad, India, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
NEW YORK (AP) — From Sydney to Paris to New York City, crowds rang in the new year with exuberant celebrations filled with thunderous fireworks or light shows, while others took a more subdued approach.
As the clock struck midnight in Japan, temple bells rang and some climbed mountains to see the year’s first sunrise, while a light show with somersaulting jet skis twinkled in Dubai. The countdown to 2026 was projected onto the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, while in Moscow people celebrated in the snow.
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